A “great, passionate” editor who ran four local newspapers has died aged 73.

Tributes have been paid to Carol Davies, who edited the Canterbury Adscene, Whitstable Times, Herne Bay Times and Thanet Extra during her career.

Carol, pictured, went into Canterbury’s Pilgrims Hospice on 27 July after learning that six months of chemotherapy had failed to beat her cancer.

She died on Monday 8 August, with her husband Matt Silk, also a journalist, and her brother Lee by her side.

Matt said: “There’s some comfort in the fact her empathy, kindness, love, fun and mischief will stay with so many friends and family.

“She’ll never really leave so many of us – but the world makes even less sense without our Cazzles in it.”

Carol had worked as series editor of the free Canterbury Adscene and its sister paid-for papers the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Times.

She joined the KM Group in 2002 to edit the Thanet Extra, another free title.

Ian Carter, editorial director of KM Group owner Iliffe Media, told its Kent Online website: “Carol was a great, passionate editor with a real love of life.

“Alongside her thirst for news and a passion for the communities she served, she was a huge music enthusiast. A quick chat about that week’s Thanet Extra would often turn into a 45-minute discussion about the bands she had discovered and the gigs she was going to.

“Carol was very close to her mother and devastated when she died. It’s incredibly sad she has now left us far too soon.

“The thoughts of all those who knew her at the KM are with her friends and family.”

Former Adscene owner Harry Lambert added: “I am so very sad to hear that Carol has departed this earth.

“I have some lovely memories of an always smiling Carol who was eager to take on any task. May she enjoy peace and freedom from pain and worry.”

Other former colleagues have also paid tribute.

Graham Smith said: “Carol was one of the most caring, compassionate and lovely people I was lucky enough to meet and one of the best journalists I was lucky enough to work with.

“We went back very nearly 38 years to when she was a reporter and I was a sub-editor on Adscene.

“We shared similar views on so many things including local newspapers, politics and Adscene and KM management.

“Carol was a complete one-off. The world is a poorer place for her passing.”

Journalist Rachael Woods added: “Carol was a beautiful person, fun, feisty and fearless. Her light will shine on.”

And Nigel Munson said: “Her smile that could illuminate the darkest room and her eyes simply bewitched us poor chaps.

“She was very self-effacing but loved to participate in the faintly anarchic atmosphere that existed in the newsroom.

“Her quiet sense of humour and gentle personality marked her out as someone whose company we all embraced fervently. She was just so damned lovely.

“She was my dear friend, a journalist of genuine style and quality whose feature writings underlined her love of the English language. The Celestial Gazette has a new star columnist.”

Carol will not have a funeral as per her wishes, but Matt confirmed to Kent Online there will be a “get together to celebrate her when the time is right so no flowers or cards”.

Donations can be made in her name to Pilgrims Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK and the Hedgehog Preservation Society.